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How Are America's Educators Doing?

As another pandemic-era school year ends, new results from a RAND survey conducted earlier this year provide insights into the well-being of America’s educators. The headline finding: U.S. teachers and principals are experiencing frequent job-related stress at a rate that is about twice that of the general working public.

Here are some other key takeaways from this study:

• Nearly half of teachers said supporting students' academic learning was one of their main sources of job-related stress.
• Two-thirds of teachers reported taking on extra responsibilities during the pandemic, such as covering other teachers’ classes or taking additional students in their own classrooms because of staff shortages.
• Nearly half of principals of color and one-third of teachers of color reported experiencing racial discrimination. Family members of students and fellow staff were often the source.
• Well-being was reported as especially poor among Hispanic/Latinx teachers, mid-career teachers, and female teachers and principals.

While these results paint a concerning picture, the survey also revealed some good news: Many educators are managing their stress and still find joy in their work.

“Teachers told us that their dedication to working with students kept them in their jobs, even though pandemic conditions have made teaching more challenging,” said RAND's Elizabeth Steiner, lead author of the study. “Teaching conditions—not the work of teaching itself—are what they find to be stressful.”

With this in mind, Steiner and her coauthors identified several recommendations for school districts that could help educators. These include alleviating stress by expanding tutoring programs, investing in summer school, and hiring additional staff to address student behavior and mental health concerns and provide more support in the classroom.